As the first of many stressful times of the semester take its toll on us, and frustration makes quitting look like the best option, it is time to look back on why we are where we are. Without a doubt, and like the majority of campus, I have felt like giving up. But we all know that quitters never win. This week’s Campus Celebrity is a constant reminder of where I was when I first started at UT and how I got to where I am now.
Twenty-one year old International and Cultural Studies major, Chanel Vanzant, is the definition of the phrase “something else”. Chanel is active in many organizations on campus. She is an active sister of Delta Zeta, Vice-President of Student Government, a Diplomat, a member of the Order of Omega, the Student Coordinator of Leadership in OSLE, has an internship with World Partnerships, participates in various P.E.A.C.E. service trips, and has mentored various retreats such as E.L.I.T.E. and Relevent. Needless to say, this girl is busy, but she has her schedule planned out perfectly to accommodate her classes and activities. When asked how she does it and how she stays so organized, her advice was to “stay ahead and work ahead.” She also has a strict bedtime to ensure that she gets enough sleep to recharge herself for another busy day.
When she isn’t busy with school life, Chanel travels. For her, traveling is the complete opposite of what she considers normal. Instead of her time meticulously planned, Chanel has the opportunity to relax and immerse herself in the new culture that surrounds her. At only twenty-one, Chanel has travelled to Cuba, Peru, Thailand, Italy, Greece, France, Germany, and Ecuador. To add to it, she will be spending her upcoming summer in Brazil; and yes she will be there for the World Cup. But she doesn’t travel to just have fun. All of her trips have involved service projects that mostly involve helping orphaned and underprivileged children in third world countries. In fact, she spent ten days in the Amazon where she slept on slabs of bamboo at night.
None of her accomplishments would be possible without the support and encouragement of her mom. Her mom is her best friend and like any best friends, they tell eachother anything. Because of the sacrifices her mom has made, Chanel has had the opportunity to travel, but most importantly, she has had many opportunities to shine at UT. Without her mom’s influence and guidance, she would have not applied to participate in E.L.I.T.E. her freshmen year, and would not be where she is today.
When Chanel has free time, it is not wasted. Recently, she has been inspired to experiment with recipes and cook more. Currently, she obsessed over her most find and creation, pesto sauce. She enjoys reading, especially travel books. In fact, when she last moved, she had more boxes for her books than anything else. Before travelling somewhere new, Chanel spends time reading on that countries culture, as to prepare herself for her trip and to take more away from her experiences there.
While graduation is still some time away, Chanel is already preparing herself for her future. As indecisive as she is, Chanel knows that one day she wants to go into teaching and working with children. “I love being a mentor and want to continue to for as long as I love it,” said Vanzant. She explained, “There is so much pressure to plan everything out when you really can’t. You can take the necessary steps to prepare yourself, but you can’t know what will happen.” When asked what her biggest goal in life is, one might be shocked by her response. “I want to wake up each day and love what I do. When you think about it, so many people are unhappy with their lives…and I don’t want that. I want to love life in the moment. You have to.”
On a very personal note, Chanel has a major impact on me, and still continues to amaze me in all she does. As a freshman, I participated in E.L.I.T.E. where Chanel was my mentor. Her influence on me at this retreat would forever alter my college experience at UT. She encouraged me to become active on campus and make my mark on the community. She is a role model for so many on this campus, and I am proud to say that she is mine as well. I am constantly amazed by Chanel’s leadership skills, and always learning how to be a better leader and person from her.